US2623672A - Beer jetter - Google Patents

Description

J. H. ONEIL BEER JETTER Dec. 30, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1949 Dec. 30, 1952 J. H QNEIL 2,623,672

BEER JETTER Filed April 15, 1949 5 sheets-sheet s Wm, @mmm/.dm

Patented Dec. 30, 1952 BEER JETTER James H. ONeil, Syracuse, N. Y., assigner to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 15, 1949, Serial No. 87,768

(Cl. 22S-69) 1 Claim.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a method of packaging beer in containers and more particularly in open top cans. The elimination of air from the head space of the container before sealing is recognized as desirable. Many expedients have been proposed and utilized for this purpose, including the directing of a jet of inert gas into the beer beneath the surface thereof through a nozzle submerged in the beer in an open top can for causing foam to ll the head space and force the air therefrom. The wide open mouth of the open top can presents difficulties when attempts are made to direct a jet of inert gas into the beer from a point above the surface of the beer, because the jetted stream entrains surrounding air which is driven into the beer along with the inert gas causing an excessive amount of air to be entrapped in the beer and foam. Also, the velocity of the jet must be controlled to avoid blowing the foam from the surface of the beer thereby causing excessive foaming and Waste of beer.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of directing inert gas into an open top can partially filled with a gas containing beverage which includes the step of first covering the mouth of the can so as to provide a closed head space with a vent opening leading to the atmosphere and then directing a jet of inert gas through the closed head space at a point above the surface of the beer at a velocity suflicient to cause the gas to penetrate the surface of the beer for causing the beer to foam and iill the head space with foam.

The novel method is preferably carried out by mechanical means disposed between the lling machine and the closing machine. One form of mechanical means for carrying out the method is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, showing the essential features of a machine which may be used in carrying out the new method;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged radial section through a portion of the covering means and the jetting means and showing the upper portion of a can positioned relative to the cover means so as to provide a vent opening for the air to escape from the head space;

Figure 3EL is a sectional View similar to that 2 shown in Figure 3, but showing a slightly modied arrangement of the jetting nozzle.

Figure 4 is a view partly in section and partly in plan showing a modified form of' jetting means; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

The illustrated embodiment of a machine for carrying out the improved method includes a rotating turret l0 mounted for rotation about a vertical axis in a frame structure II.. This turret is provided with a plurality of pockets I2--I2. Attached to the turret and rotating therewith is an annular plate I3. Said plate is provided with cylindrical openings I4. The plate projects beyond the periphery of the turret and the cylindrical opening just referred to isl directly beneath the pocket. Mounted in this cylindrical opening is a can support I5 which is tted so as to reciprocate vertically in said cylindrical opening. There is a can support for each pocket and it is centered relative to the pocket so that when a can is placed on the support it will be firmly seated in the pocket.

The can support has a depending member I6 carrying a roller I1 which runs on a stationary cam I8 secured to the frame structure II of the machine. This turret is disposed between the lling machine and the closing machine and the cans from the filling machine are delivered one after another into the pocket of the turret. In Figure 2, the can C' is just entering a pocket in the turret.

Mounted directly above the turret is a cover plate I9. The cover plate has a sleeve 2D bolted thereto. This sleeve fits over a bracket member 2| xed to the upper frame member Ila. EX- tending through the frame member lIa and the member II is a bushing sleeve 22 in which a shaft 23 is mounted for rotation. The shaft 23 extends through the cover plate and is provided with a head 24 and keys 25 whereby the cover plate is firmly secured to the shaft and rotates therewith. At the upper end of the shaft 23 is a bevel gear 26 which meshes with a bevel gear 21 on the shaft 28. This shaft also carries a bevel gear 29 which meshes with a bevel gear 30 on the upper end of the shaft 3I to which the turret can is keyed. This shaft 3| is rotated by suitable means (not shown) and the rotations of the shaft will be communicated to the cover plate I9 through this gearing just described. The cover plate in diameter is much smaller than the turret and is disposed so that said cover plate overlies the path of travel of the cans on the turret.

As the turret rotates, the cans placed in the pockets thereof will be carried beneath the cover plate and while they are beneath the cover plate an inert gas is jetted through or across the head space of the can. This is brought about by providing the cover plate with a series of nozzles, one of which is indicated at 32 in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings.

The stationary cam I8 is so shaped that as the turret approaches the region in which jetting takes place the can is raised to a position slightly spaced away from the bottom of the cover plate so that this space between the can ilange and the cover plate provides a venting opening V for the air and excess foam to escape from the head space of the can.

Associated with each jetting nozzle is a pipe 33 which is connected with a port 34 in the sleeve 20. The bracket member 2l is provided with a header 35 and this header is connected through a port 36 with a pipe 3l leading to a source of inert gas. There are five nozzles carried by the cover plate and, of course, there are five pipes 33 connected to ve different ports like the port 34. When the cover plate is in the position shown in Figure 2 then the pipe 33 is connected up to the header and the inert gas will be furnished to the nozzle. This gas is supplied under a pressure so that it ilows from the nozzle in a jet. Referring to Figure 3, it will be noted that the can lled with beer so as to leave a proper head space has been brought beneath the cover plate I9 so that the head space in the can is closed except for this venting opening V. The turret rotates continuously and likewise the cover plate and the header 35 is of suicient length so that as soon as the ilange of the can is wholly beneath the cover plate, gas will be supplied through the pipe 33 and from the nozzle to the head space above the surface of the beer in the can.

The gas continues to pass from the nozzle into the beer while the cover plate is traveling through an arc of sixty degrees. Then the supply of gas is cut off and the can passes from beneath the cover plate and then out of the pocket and to the closing machine. The inert gas used is preferably CO2.

The inert gas is under sui'rl'cient pressure to produce a jet velocity that will force the gas into and below the surface of the beer. This will cause a foaming of the beer and the bubbles will contain gas released from the beer and from the gas directed into the beer from the jetting device. The foam thus formed will force the air out of the head space and ll the head space with foam. Some of the foam will pass out through the vent opening V, but very little of the beer is wasted. This cover plate, covering the head space, permits the use of high jet velocities and prevents the blowing of the beer foam out of the can which would otherwise occur. The foaming or" the beer will completely fill the head space with foam charged with inert gas and the excess foam will overflow through the vent opening. It is noted that the nozzle fits snugly within an opening in the cover plate. (See Figure 3.) When the jet passes from the nozzle into the head space of the container it does not entrain any air and carry it into the head space. The whole intent ofv applicants method is to force the air out of the head space and when this can be done by a 4 jet without carrying air into the head space the method is very much more efcient.

At the completion of the jetting operation the can is lowered by the roller I1 passing off from the high spot on the can I3 and thus the flange will be free to pass beneath the nozzle which projects slightly into the head space of the can during jetting.

In Figure 3a the nozzle 33 is shown as placed in the cover plate i9 so that the extreme lower end of the nozzle .is flush with the lower side of the cover plate. In this arrangement no cam means for raising the can is necessary.

In Figures 4 and 5, there is shown a slightly modied form of 'jetting means. The cover plate I9 is the same as in the construction shown in Figures l to 3 so far as mounting and rotating the same. On the underface of the cover plate at each jetting unit there is an annular groove in which is set an annular gasket 39. The can, as indicated at C is raised so as to bring the ange into contact with the gasket and this seals off and closes the head space. The nozzle 32 is the same construction as shown in Figure 1 and likewise a pipe 33 associated with each nozzle connects with a header 34 in the manner described above.

Instead of the venting opening V described above the cover plate is provided with one or more openings it which lead to a header III and a pipe 42 connected with the header permits the air to pass to the atmosphere from the head space. As the inert gas passes into the beer in the construction shown in Figure 5, the displaced air in the head space will pass into header ll and out through pipe ill. Some foam will follow the air and pass up into the header. This assures that all the head space has been lled with foam.

In carrying out the method, the can is lled with beer by a lling machine and then passed inot this jetting machine. The can is filled so as to leave a proper head space which is initially iilled with air. The rst step in the new method consists in placing a cover over the can so as to close the head space but so as to provide also a venting opening leading to the atmosphere. After the head space has been closed then the next step consists in directing an inert gas through or across the head space above the surface ofthe beer in the cani The inert gas moving through or across the head space from the nozzle will force some air from the head space. The inert gas is also under sufficient pressure to produce a jet velocity that will drive the jet of gas into the beer causing the beer to foam.

The supply of inert gas continues until the head space is filled with the foam and then the gas cut oi, the cover plate removed and the can with head space filled with Ithe bubbles of beer will exclude the air from the head space until the can passes into the closing machine, a cover applied and seamed to the can so as to seal the same.

I claim:

The method of packaging beer in a can having a wide open top surrounded by a searning flange, comprising placing the can beneath a covering plate so that the flange is slightly spaced away from the bottom of the covering plate, thus providing a venting opening permitting the escape of air and excess foam from the head space of the can, said opening being restricted to an extent effective to materially retard free escape of foam from the head space and free entrance of air into the head space, directing a vertical jet of inert gas free from entrained air into and through the head space from a point centrally thereof and above the surface of the beer and into the beer at a velocity sufcient to cause the gas to penetrate the surface of the beer causing the beer to foam, Contact with the covering plate and progressively crowd all air out of the head space through the venting opening and substituting therefor an inert gas entrapped in the bubbles in the foam and then removing the covering and sealing the container.

JAMES H. ONEIL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hoppe Nov. 22, 1932 MacKenzie Apr. 19, 1938 Kantor Dec. 13, 1938 Sparling et al July 11, 1939 Stone June 1'8, 1940 Hopkins Oct. 22, 194i) Stevenson et al. Nov. 9, 1943 Gartland Jan. 4, 1944 Bargeboer Aug. 22, 1944 Stewart Mar. 27, 1945 Stevenson Dec. 23, 1947

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